What app do producers use to make music?

Music production applications, also known as digital audio workstations or DAWs, have become essential tools for music producers, audio engineers, and musicians. With the rise of personal computers and audio software, it’s now possible for anyone with a laptop and a microphone to record, edit, and produce studio-quality music from home.
In the past, recording and producing an album required access to an expensive professional recording studio. But thanks to DAW technology, the barriers to music production have come way down. There are many great options available now for all budgets and experience levels.

This article provides an overview of the top DAWs used by music producers today, from expensive industry standards to more affordable entry-level software. We’ll look at key features, strengths and weaknesses, and who each DAW is best suited for. The goal is to help producers, particularly beginners, understand the landscape and choose the right platform for their needs.

DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations)

A digital audio workstation, or DAW, is software that allows music producers and audio engineers to record, edit, and mix audio files (Charles Cleyn). DAWs act as a central hub for music production, combining features like multi-track recording, MIDI sequencing, virtual instruments, editing tools, effects, and more into one integrated platform.

Some of the most popular and widely used DAWs among music producers today include:

• Ableton Live – Ableton Live is known for its excellent workflow for live performance and clip-based production (MacProVideo). It features session view for improvisation and arrangement view for traditional multi-track recording.
• Logic Pro – Developed by Apple, Logic Pro offers a full-featured professional DAW optimized for macOS. It includes software instruments, extensive effects, and advanced audio/MIDI editing tools.
• Pro Tools – Pro Tools by Avid is considered an industry standard DAW, particularly for professional recording studios. It’s known for its robust audio engine, pristine sound quality, and tight integration with Avid’s hardware interfaces.

Other major DAWs like FL Studio, GarageBand, Cubase, Reason, and Studio One also have strong followings among music producers and audio engineers.

Ableton Live

Ableton Live is one of the most popular DAWs used by electronic music producers. It combines session and arrangement views so producers can improvise with musical ideas and then arrange them. Some of the key features of Ableton Live include:

Powerful MIDI sequencing and manipulation tools like easy quantization, transposition, warping, etc. (Ableton Live: The Ultimate Overview for Producers).

Extensive effects and instruments presets to quickly add high-quality sounds to a project (Ableton Live Review 2023: Pricing & Features).

Able to manipulate audio clips in real time using warp markers and envelopes.

Automation of almost every parameter so producers can create intricate changes over time.

Integrated Max for Live toolkit to build customized instruments, effects, and more.

Ableton Link allows syncing Ableton Live wirelessly across multiple devices and users.

Powerful mixing capabilities like groups, racks, glue compressor, EQ Eight, etc.

Support for third-party plugins like VSTs, audio units, Rewire applications.

A clean, intuitive interface optimized for live performance as well as in-studio production.

Logic Pro

Logic Pro is a digital audio workstation and MIDI sequencer developed by Apple Inc. It offers a comprehensive set of tools for audio production, including multitrack recording, editing, arranging, mixing, effects, virtual instruments, score editing, and more.

Some of Logic Pro’s key features include:

• Simplified mode for beginners, and Complete mode with the full set of advanced tools Source
• Powerful mixing capabilities with an intuitive interface
• Extensive virtual instrument and effect libraries for synthesizers, samplers, drum machines and more
• Support for audio recording at up to 32-bit/192 kHz resolution
• Score editing tools including a built-in notation editor
• Apple Loops library with thousands of loops and audio files
• Compatibility with third-party audio plug-ins and virtual instruments

Logic Pro offers advanced music production capabilities in an approachable interface. Both beginners and professionals appreciate its comprehensive toolkit for creating polished, studio-quality recordings.

Pro Tools

Pro Tools by Avid is arguably the most widely used DAW in professional music production. It offers a robust set of features for audio recording, editing, mixing, and mastering. Some key features of Pro Tools include:

Flexible audio recording – Pro Tools offers up to 128 audio tracks and records at high sample rates up to 192kHz. It supports recording through interfaces, mixers, and microphones. Pro Tools 2024 Pricing, Features, Reviews & Alternatives

Advanced editing – Pro Tools has powerful editing tools like elastic audio to stretch and warp audio clips. You can easily cut, copy, paste, trim, etc. Pro Tools Quick Reference Guide

Mixing capabilities – Pro Tools has a deep mixing console with effects, panning, routing, and automation. This allows for polished, professional mixes.

MIDI sequencing – You can compose with virtual instruments, edit MIDI, use automation, and score to picture with MIDI in Pro Tools.

Compatibility – Pro Tools works seamlessly with Avid’s hardware like the iconic HDX systems. It’s compatible with third-party interfaces as well.

Collaboration – You can collaborate with others using the cloud-based Avid Link system. Share tracks and projects across locations.

Pro Tools offers comprehensive tools for professional music production and is widely adopted by recording studios worldwide.

FL Studio

FL Studio, formerly known as FruityLoops, is a complete software music production environment developed by the Belgian company Image-Line (https://www.image-line.com/fl-studio-news/). FL Studio allows users to create music compositions from start to finish using a variety of tools for sequencing, audio editing, mixing, instruments, effects, and more.

Some of the key features of FL Studio include:

• Step sequencer for programming drum beats and melodies
• Piano roll editor for manipulating note data and automation
• Audio recording, editing, warping, and time-stretching
• Over 90 plugin instruments including synthesizers, samplers, drums, and acoustic/electric instruments
• Hundreds of effects plugins for processing audio and applying creative effects
• Flexible routing system for chaining instruments and effects (https://unison.audio/how-to-use-fl-studio/)
• Mixer with effects sends, sidechain routing, and automation
• Compatibility with VST and other third-party plugins
• Score editor for writing and printing sheet music

FL Studio is available for Windows and Mac, with full-featured desktop and mobile versions. It continues to be one of the most popular DAWs for music production due to its approachable workflow, extensive content library, and lifetime free updates (https://support.image-line.com/jshop/shop.php).

GarageBand

GarageBand is a free digital audio workstation (DAW) from Apple that allows users to create music or podcasts on macOS, iOS, and iPadOS devices. GarageBand was first released by Apple in 2004. It comes pre-installed on all new Macintosh computers and iOS devices.

GarageBand provides a complete set of tools for musicians and podcasters to create songs or episodes with virtual instruments, presets for guitar and voice, a sampler, keyboards, synthesizers and a drum machine. It also includes a large loop library with many genres and virtual sessions musicians that can play along to your song (/mac/garageband/”.)

Some of the key features of GarageBand include (https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213766):

• Instruments and sounds – Over 1,000 Apple Loops, 100+ software instruments, drum kits, amps and effects.
• Recording options – Record audio or software instruments.
• Advanced editing – Fix timing, pitch, and more with Flex Time and Flex Pitch.
• Mixing and effects – EQ, compressors, reverbs, choruses and guitar amps.
• Sharing options – Export your song to MP3, WAV, AIFF, share via SoundCloud, YouTube and more.

GarageBand provides an easy way for novices to get started with music production and offers advanced features for more experienced users. Its simplicity and seamless integration with Apple devices help make it one of the most popular entry-level DAWs.

Other Options

While Ableton, Logic Pro, Pro Tools, FL Studio, and GarageBand are among the most popular DAWs, there are many other options on the market. Some alternatives worth considering include:

Cubase – Developed by Steinberg, Cubase is a feature-rich DAW used by producers and musicians across many genres. It offers advanced MIDI editing, virtual instruments, effects, and mixing capabilities. Cubase is known for its seamless integration of both audio and MIDI workflows.

Reason – From Propellerhead Software, Reason provides an all-in-one production environment with synths, samples, effects, and mixing. Its customizable rack interface enables building unique virtual instruments and effects chains. Reason is popular for electronic, hip hop, and experimental styles.

Studio One – Created by PreSonus, Studio One combines ease of use with advanced features for recording, editing, mixing, and mastering. It works well for both audio and MIDI production. Studio One is known for its intuitive drag-and-drop workflow and integrated mastering tools.

Mobile Apps

Mobile devices like smartphones and tablets have become powerful enough in recent years to run full-featured music production software. This allows music producers and artists to create music on the go without being tethered to a desktop computer and studio setup.

For iOS devices like iPhones and iPads, some of the top music production apps include GarageBand, BeatMaker 3, iMPC Pro 2, and Auxy: Beat Studio. GarageBand is great for beginners, with a simple and intuitive interface. BeatMaker 3 and iMPC Pro 2 provide more advanced sampling, sequencing, and drum machine capabilities. Auxy is focused specifically on beat making and is known for its easy workflow.

On Android, some excellent options are FL Studio Mobile, n-Track Studio, Audio Evolution Mobile Studio, and Caustic 3. FL Studio Mobile offers full-featured music production abilities with piano roll, automation, effects, and more. n-Track Studio is a digital audio workstation focused on multi-track recording and mixing. Audio Evolution Mobile Studio provides advanced audio editing and recording capabilities, while Caustic 3 is focused on synthesizers and loop sequencing for electronic music creation.

These mobile production apps allow producers and artists to sketch out song ideas, experiment with sounds, and even create full tracks anywhere they go. Their simplified workflows and touch-based interfaces make music production highly accessible on mobile devices.

Conclusion

There are several excellent DAWs for music producers to choose from. Ableton Live and FL Studio stand out as the most popular and full-featured options that work great for electronic music production. Logic Pro is extremely capable for recording live instruments and vocals. Pro Tools remains an industry standard for recording and mixing. And REAPER offers incredible value as a highly customizable DAW.

For most music producers, Ableton Live is probably the best overall choice thanks to its intuitive workflow, vast collection of instruments and effects, session view for improvisation, and versatile performance features. However, FL Studio rivals Live in many ways while costing less. So FL Studio is recommended for producers on a budget seeking a fully stocked DAW. Both Live and FL Studio work on Mac and Windows.

Logic Pro is recommended for producers working primarily with live audio recordings, as it excels at recording, editing, composing and mixing. But it’s only available on Mac. Finally, REAPER is an amazing value for a powerful DAW with a thriving community of users and developers creating extensions.

The most important thing is choosing a DAW that inspires you creatively and matches your goals and budget. Download demos to try out the top options. And with some experience, any of the major DAWs can produce professional music.